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295 Tazewell Street Open to the public from 10:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. Tuesday through Friday and Saturday, Noon to 4:00 P.M., April through December. There is a small admission to tour the museum(s). The Boyd Museum is named after Thomas Jefferson Boyd, attorney, town mayor, surveyor, hotel builder, and Virginia Legislator, who was honored with the title of "Father of Wytheville." The Museum contains a collection that includes Wytheville's first fire truck, circa 1855. On display are early farming equipment and tools, military uniforms, photographs of community life and a permanent exhibit on the Civil War in Wythe County. A gift shop containing unique specialty items is located on the first floor. Hands-on educational activities are provided for children in the Discovery Corner on the basement level. 2. Rock House Museum
205 Tazewell Street Open to the public from 10:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. Tuesday through Friday, April through October. There is a small admission to tour the museum(s). Construction of this historic home was said to be finalized in 1823 by Dr. John Haller, Wytheville's first resident physician. It is an example of the simple but well- ordered stone houses that once dotted many of Virginia's western and southwestern towns. The region's limestone proved to be plentiful and easily worked material and gave texture and character to the otherwise plain architecture. As a Registered Historical Site, the house now serves as a museum depicting the life of the Haller-Gibboney families. More than 300 original items belonging to the families remain on display. The grounds are being restored to the early 19th Century time frame and include four herb gardens with period plantings. Civil War History: The Battle of Wytheville, also known as Toland's Raid, occurred along Tazewell Street in front of the Rock House on July 18, 1863. A Union force of 872 soldiers, under the command of Colonel John T. Toland attacked Wytheville with the intent of destroying a large railroad bridge spanning the Reed Creek and disrupting the transportation of supplies for the Confederate forces. Colonel Toland was about 100 yards north of the present Spiller School on horseback when a bullet shot from a home on Tazewell Street struck the Colonel in the heart, killing him instantly. A number of buildings and private homes, including the Rock House, were set on fire. Evidence of the battle is visible in the front parlor where a bullet hole still appears in the window frame. At the end of the battle, 86 old men and boys were taken prisoner, forced to march up Tazewell Street to a mountainous location, and released the following day. 3. Main Street Wytheville Main Street is located on The Great Road that originated in Philadelphia and became one of the major routes for settlers traveling through Virginia to the Western frontier. In 1790, Wythe County was named in honor of George Wythe, the famous Virginia lawyer and signer of the Declaration of Independence. In this same year, the first town lots were laid off on land donated by the Simmerman and Davis families. The Simmerman Tavern stood on the site where the Kincer Miller Hardware building now stands, on the north side of Main a few doors to your right. A plaque on the front of the building provides more information about the tavern. The new town was given the name of Evansham. In 1839, the name of the town was changed to Wytheville to reflect the fact that it was the county seat. 4. Wytheville Baptist Church
205 Church Street The Wytheville Baptist Church was organized in September of 1883. An interesting architectural feature is the domed center of the sanctuary with a circular stained glass window at the apex. The big spring, an early water supply for the town, is in the basement of the church. On the corner of the front lawn is a marker which tells the story of the land that was donated by the Davis family. |
1. Thomas Boyd Museum
